International Nomad

My two years have come to an end. In fact, in April I officially became a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer. I put off writing something, first because I was traveling and then, truthfully, because I didn’t know what to say. How do to sum up two years in a blog post? How could I express how hard it was to say goodbye but also how exciting it was? How can I articulate how I miss my family and friends?

Today I’m sitting in an office building in Yangon, Myanmar. A far cry from the village I grew to love, the regional house I had many misadventures in and Dakar with its ocean access and colorful streets. I miss Senegal and I think of it often. I miss my family, the kids running around and the food. I miss my pretty blue house and the pictures I hung on the walls. I miss the friend I made in the Peace Corps. I miss going to the tailor and the peanuts (oh how I miss peanuts). I miss speaking Sereer with some French mixed in. I miss coming home to song and having my siblings hug me.

Of course, I know I am romanticizing. It’s easy to miss the wonderful things and to forget the difficulties, the heat, the boredom, the struggles. As I look back I do think I had more great experiences than I did bad ones. I was welcomed with open arms into a community I didn’t know full of people who spoke a different language and had different customs than myself. They raised me from what is essentially an infant who can’t speak and do tasks independently to a somewhat functional adult. They showed me love and understanding and compassion when I was overwhelmed and confused.

I know my time in Santhie Moud changed me and I can only hope that people there feel my time with them changed them for the better. They gave me more love than I knew before, brought more excitement and more joy into my life. I’ve become more cautious with my water usage (there’s nothing like living on 20 liters of water a day to show you what you really need), truly understand how wonderful air conditioning is and like children more than I ever have before. I’ve seen and experienced how hard people work, how they support each other through the difficult times and how much of a community they are. Truthfully, I feel guilty to be able to move on to a life that is so easy, with access to everything I would want while they’re not. My host father said before I left that I brought them luck. Through some sort of scheme the village got solar lights. Our compound looks completely different from when I installed: there’s a nice wall around the compound, a good latrine and a couple new houses being built. Although I can’t take credit for any of that, I’m glad that I was able to see the village change and develop as a result of the hard work they put in. The goodbyes were hard, filled with tears and a lot of sadness.

I am lucky that my replacement is amazing. She gives me updates, sends me pictures and asks questions which reminds me of the adventures I had when I was newly installed, making everyone seem just a little less far away. I can’t wait to hear about the exciting things she does and to see how she makes Santhie Moud her home. I called the family for the holiday and spoke to friends, loved ones (and three year old niece!) and continue to feel loved by them, even from a distance.

Senegal was wonderful to me (most of the time...) and I’m glad I spent two years there. I hope to be able to go back one day to see how everyone has grown up, how the village has changed and eat some of those amazing peanuts until I can’t anymore. While I miss everyone, I know it was time for me to move on and for someone else to feel the love that I did. I will always proudly be Ndioug Diouf, a Sereer from Kaolack, Central Senegal. Always happily accept peanuts, millet and hibiscus as gifts and never decline an invitation to come and join a a group of people eating cheb (the national dish).

What’s next for me? I’m moving to London in September to start my masters degree and then who knows!

Whats next for this blog? More sporadic posts (I’m sorry!) of the random thoughts I have, perhaps pictures of my travels and little updates on how I’m doing.